THE TOP 100 CRUS BOURGEOIS 2014

Below are the 100 best Crus Bourgeois from the 2014 vintage tasted by Gilbert & Gaillard’s editorial staff. They are listed by appellation in alphabetical order of the châteaux names to make it easier for you to find your favourite wine.

Very subtle fruity nose. Suppleness, freshness and fruit take a front seat on the palate. A fairly refined 2014 with a lovely fruity finish.

88-90 Château Clément Pichon

A mix of fruit and oak notes on the nose, shot through with freshness. The same character flows through to the palate with a precise aromatic identity combining fruit and oak. Effective in style.

86-88 Château Duthil

Pronounced ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose. Soft tannins on the palate, with freshness and the fruit recurring on the finish.

87-89 Château Liversan

Nose of ultra ripe red fruits with a candied note bordering on chocolate. Supple, ripe palate showing lovely freshness and the same character following through. A fairly lightweight framework for this early-drinking wine.

86-88 Château de Malleret

Overripe nose recalling cherry and prune. The palate nevertheless shows seductive mellowness and quality tannins as well as a robust framework. Successful.

88-90 Château Malescasse

Honest nose of ripe black fruits. Beautiful ripe, velvety tannins on the palate. The fruit is still a little shy but the quality of the framework points to a very beautifully made wine in the long run.

87-89 Château Moulin de Blanchon

Nose of ripe black fruits that stays very elegant. Dense, tannic palate that is slightly rustic but highly effective with pleasant balance. A seductive, no-frills style.

Ripe black fruit drives the nose. Lovely fabric on the palate with velvety tannins and invigorating fruit expression. Contains all the prerequisite ingredients of a fine wine.

88-90 Château Pontoise Cabarrus

Ripe nose reminiscent of cherry flesh. Dense palate with evident tannins and a degree of rustic character that stays within the confines of balance. An authentic style, all-set for cellaring.

87-89 Château Pomiès Agassac

Concentrated nose of black fruits. Good backbone on the palate which is concentrated yet polished and sappy with a welcome freshness on the finish.

89-91 Château Ramage La Bâtisse

Sterling quality fruit on the nose where red berry fruits are entwined with notes of roasted coffee and mocha stemming from the wood. Robust palate showing remarkable quality tannins retaining freshness and fruit expression. Probably a top-flight wine in years to come.

86-88 Château Rollin

Ripe cherry including bigarreau on the nose. Supple palate with polished tannins, oak presence and the fruit recurring on the finish. Effective yet not exceptional.

LISTRAC-MEDOC

88-90 Château Cap Léon Veyrin

Fairly profound nose of red fruits. The palate displays velvety tannins with a clear contribution from the oak. Beautiful framework, very classically-styled.

Racy nose with precise fruit that becomes more intense after swirling. Judiciously sappy, fresh palate setting the wine in motion with beautiful persistency on the finish. A gold standard wine in this vintage.

Beautiful quality fruit on the nose with elegant, supporting oak. The palate reveals a voluptuous mouthfeel and racy, well-integrated oak with intense fruit on the finish. A real gem in this appellation for 2014.

Nose of fresh currants. The palate boasts very good structure with fine-grained tannins and extremely expressive fruit. Excellent.

SAINT-ESTEPHE

86-88 Château Clauzet

The nose displays aromas of ripe fruit and toast that are already open. The tannins are velvety and harmony between the fruit and the oak is extremely successful.

86-88 Château de Côme

Elegant freshness and ripe red berry fruits on the nose. Round tannins with long-lasting fruit on the palate leaving a very enjoyable sensation of sweetness.

87-89 Château Tour des Termes

Aromas of ripe, jammy fruits nicely encompassed by well-integrated oak. The framework is slightly austere on the palate. A wine with promise.

86-88 Château Le Boscq

Jammy nose with slightly overripe aromas and well-integrated oak. The mid-palate lacks substance and the tannins are still a little drying. Slight lack of definition but should mature.

88-90 Château la Commanderie

Densely-coloured. The nose is elegant and fruity despite a trace of vegetal aroma. Beautiful mouth-coating substance on the palate. Pleasant toast aromas from the oak. The tannins still need to mellow but wonderful potential.

86-88 Château Coutelin Merville

Refined nose leaving room for fruit despite a trace of vegetal aroma. The palate is full although the tannins are slightly prominent. Holds promise for the future.

Dark hue. Vegetal note on the nose but on the whole, fruit and above all, lots of elegance. Impeccably balanced tannins and fruit.

90-92 Château Lilian Ladouys

Struggles to open up on the nose but is extremely pleasant on the palate with lovely, mouth-coating fruit and beautiful length driven by upfront, yet velvety tannins. Highly successful.

86-88 Château Petit Bocq

Oak influence is brutal and truly affects the fruit which is literally crushed by oak aroma and tannins. Pity. Leave in peace for a year or two!

90-92 Château Saint Pierre de Corbian

Very dark, almost opaque colour. The wine is still under oak influence but compelling, ripe black fruit perfumes are perceptible. Round palate with mouth-coating and voluptuous substance. Extremely successful balance between structure and flavour. Excellent.

88-90 Château Tour de Pez

Beautiful framework formed by oak aroma and tannins and fruit which has been picked fully ripe and is flavoursome on the palate. The tannins are extremely supple and make the wine already accessible.

88-90 Château Tour Saint Fort

Elegant nose with successfully balanced fruit and oak aromas. The palate echoes the nose with delicate and delightfully mellow tannins. Very successful.

86-88 Château Vieux Coutelin

Very dark, saturated colour. The nose is slightly muted. Delicious, round substance on the palate. Tannins are still a little prominent.